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James Gordon
James "Jim" Worthington Gordon is a supporting character in DC Comics' Batman series. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, he first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). He was the first Batman supporting character to be introduced. In most incarnations of the Batman mythos, Gordon is the police commissioner of Batman's home of Gotham City. He shares the hero’s deep commitment of ridding the dark and corrupting city of crime. In Golden and Silver age comics and on the 1960s Batman television show, Gordon fully trusts, and is even somewhat dependent on Batman. In most modern stories, he is somewhat skeptical of Batman's vigilante method but recognizes the necessity of Batman and the two have a mutual respect and tacit friendship. He was the husband of Barbara Kean Gordon and Sarah Essen Gordon. Gordon is also the father or adoptive father, depending on the continuity, of Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl and later Oracle, and James Gordon Jr. Gordon is an important part of the Batman mythos and has appeared in most other media adaptations of the character. Fictional character biography Early characterizations In most versions of the Batman mythos, he is at one point or another depicted as Gotham City's police commissioner. He succeeded Commissioner Grogan in the rank at GCPD. Gordon frequently contacts Batman for help in solving various crimes, particularly those committed by supervillains. Because DC Comics retconned its characters' history in the 1985 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths, and because of different interpretations in television and film, the details of Gordon's history vary from story to story. In the original pre-Crisis version of his history, Gordon was a police detective who initially bitterly resented the mysterious vigilante's interference in police business. Although the Batman seemed to fight on the side of justice, his methods and phenomenal track record for stopping crimes and capturing criminals embarrassed the police by comparison. Eventually, Batman met up with Gordon and persuaded the detective that they needed each other's help. Batman was deputized and worked with Gordon as an agent of the law. Post-Crisis Batman: Year One Main article: Batman: Year One The post-Crisis version of the character was introduced in the mid-1980s storyline Batman: Year One, written by Frank Miller. In this version, Gordon was transferred back to the city after spending more than fifteen years in Chicago. A man of integrity, Gordon found that his only ally against the mob-controlled administration was the Batman. One of the most significant differences in this version is that Batman was never deputized and Gordon's relationship with him was kept out of the public eye whenever possible. It was also added that he was a Special Forces veteran who was more than capable of hand to hand combat. When Gordon needs to summon Batman, he uses the Bat-Signal, a specially modified Klieg searchlight with a stylized symbol of a bat placed on it so that it projects a large emblem shaped in Batman's bat insignia on the sky or buildings of Gotham City. Batman often disappears silently when Gordon's back is turned, often while Gordon is in the middle of a rant about legal red tape. The miniseries Gordon of Gotham takes place about twenty years prior to the current events of the DC Universe and ten years before coming to Gotham in Batman: Year One. It reveals that Gordon, during his tenure in Chicago, struggled with his wife over conceiving a child while taking university night classes in criminology. He faces brutality among other officers after uncovering corruption within the force. Later, Gordon uncovers evidence of rigging the mayoral election and brings down two of his fellow officers, which leads to his commissioner recommending to him that he transfer to Gotham quickly. Batman: The Killing Joke In the 1988 graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke, the Joker kidnaps Gordon after shooting and paralyzing Barbara Gordon. He then cages Gordon in the freak show of an abandoned amusement park and forces him to look at enlarged photos of his wounded daughter in an effort to drive him insane, thus proving to Batman that even the most grounded, seemingly normal people can lose their minds after having "one bad day." Batman eventually apprehends the Joker and rescues Gordon. Despite the intense trauma he has endured, Gordon's sanity and code of ethics is intact; he insists that Batman apprehend the Joker without harming him in order to "show him that our way works." In the aftermath of her paralysis, Barbara is forced to end her career as Batgirl, but continues to fight crime as the wheelchair-bound Oracle, information broker to the superhero community and leader of the all-female superhero team, The Birds of Prey. No Man's Land The No Man's Land storyline took place after Gotham was destroyed by an earthquake and isolated from outside assistance. Inside Gotham, Gordon struggled to maintain order amidst rampant crime. Batman was mysteriously absent for the initial three months, and Gordon felt somewhat betrayed. He forged an uneasy alliance with Two-Face but was later double-crossed, kidnapped, and put on trial by Two-Face for breaking their "legally-binding" alliance. He escaped punishment, and later met with Batman once again. In this confrontation, Gordon expressed his disgust towards Batman for letting Gotham "fall into ruin". Batman offered to prove his trust by revealing his secret identity, but Gordon refused to look when Batman removed his mask. Eventually their relationship was repaired. The Death of Sarah Essen Gordon fell in love with and married fellow officer Sarah Essen. However, Essen could not comprehend why Gordon needed Batman so much, which occasionally put a strain on their relationship. Unfortunately, she was fatally shot by the Joker at the end of the No Man's Land storyline. An enraged Gordon was able to restrain himself from killing Joker, shooting the Joker's knee instead. Not long after this, Gordon was gunned down by a crook seeking revenge for a previous arrest. Though seriously injured, he eventually pulled through. Retirement Gordon retired from the police force after having served more than 20 years in it. He remained in Gotham, and occasionally enjoyed nighttime visits from Batman who came to him for company and advice. Commissioner Michael Akins had taken his position. After Barbara required surgery to save her life from the Brainiac virus, Gordon visited his daughter in Metropolis. She revealed to him her current role as Oracle, as well as her past as Batgirl. Gordon admitted that he knew of her life as Batgirl, but was pleasantly surprised to know of her career as the computer information broker of the heroes. He is very proud of her accomplishments. Return As part of DC's "One Year Later" Gordon has returned to the role of Commissioner; as of the year-long jump he has been back in the job for 3 months. The circumstances behind this are currently unknown, though there have been allusions to extreme corruption within the GCPD. These allusions are supported by events within Gotham Central, especially involving Detective Jim Corrigan. Most recently, Gordon survived an attempt on his life by the Joker (Batman #655), who had drugged him with Joker Venom in an attack on the GCPD. He was taken to the hospital in time. In Other Media Films Serials In the 1949 15-episode movie serial Batman and Robin, Commissioner Gordon was portrayed by Ed Wood regular Lyle Talbot. Burton/Schumacher Film Series In the 1989 Batman film, and its three sequels, Gordon is portrayed by Pat Hingle. In the first film, he regards the Batman as a rumor at best and vigilante at worst, though by the end of the film, he and the citizens of Gotham publicly acknowledge his usefulness, and receive from him the gift of the Bat-signal. In the sequels, Gordon plays only a minimal role compared to his role in other media, but is shown to completely trust Batman and publicly defend him. Although Barbara Gordon is his daughter in the comics, in the last Schumacher film of the series, Batman & Robin, her name is changed to Barbara Wilson and she is Alfred Pennyworth's niece. There are no known women in his life in this series, although his wife appeared with him at the party Bruce Wayne was hosting in Batman and Poison Ivy seduces him and he gives in, giving her the keys to Police Headquarters in Batman & Robin. Nolan Film Series See: James Gordon (Gary Oldman) Television Batman (1960s TV Series) In the 1960s Batman series, Gordon was played by Neil Hamilton, and is portrayed as not only having the Bat-Signal at his disposal, but also an emergency "hotline" telephone that connects directly to the Batcave. Batman and Robin are regular visitors to his office. The series occasionally made light of his dependence on Batman. In one episode, when Batman is apparently unavailable, he laments that the police will have to solve a case "ourselves". The Batman/Superman Hour Actor Ted Knight provided the voice of James Gordon in The Batman/Superman Hour. Super Friends *Gordon makes two appearances in Super Friends. He first appeared in Challenge Of The Superfriends, episode "Superfriends, Rest In Peace", as The Riddler and Cheetah hold Gordon hostage so they can kill Batman with the Noxium Crystal. The second is in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, episode "The Fear". Along with Jonathan Crane, Gordon is trying to find and arrest The Scarecrow. Gordon and Batman are both unaware that Crane is the Scarecrow. *He did also appear in some of the related comic with the show. The New Adventures of Batman In Filmation's 1977 cartoon series The New Adventures of Batman, Commissioner Gordon, voiced by Lennie Weinrib, is prominently featured as are Batgirl and Bat-Mite. Batman: The Animated Series In the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series, Gordon is voiced by Robert Hastings, and his relationship with Batman was similar to that in the comics, with the alliance largely kept between Batman, Gordon, and Harvey Bullock. Many scenes in the series portray Batman and the Commissioner having clandestine meetings at the Bat-signal. In ''I am the Night, after a failed attempt on his life at the hospital, Gordon expresses his desire to be more like Batman if only he were younger, "to be a hero", which Batman assured he already was. A flashback in the episode "Robin's Reckoning" depicts Gordon as a brown-haired police Lieutenant investigating the murder of Dick Grayson's parents. In the episode "What Is Reality?" Batman must save Gordon's life and outwit The Riddler in a computer game at the same time. Commissioner Gordon also appeared in the follow-up to Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures. In the episode "Over the Edge" Batgirl suffers from The Scarecrow's fear toxins, producing a nightmare where Batgirl dies in battle without telling her father her secret. When Commissioner Gordon finds out, he blames Batman and starts a man hunt against his former ally after discovering his secret identity. After Barbara awakens, she tries to admit her secret to the real Commissioner Gordon, who says that he trusts his daughter with whatever choices she makes and that she doesn't need to tell him anything. Gordon may have already deduced Barbara's secret identity at that point. On a revelation on Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Gordon is one of the few people who knew what happened to Robin and the Joker on a night at Arkham Asylum, and for the boy's sake, he kept it a secret. This event may also have led Gordon to learn who was under the cape and cowl of Batman. Hastings continues his role as Commissioner Gordon in guest appearances on Superman: The Animated Series and Static Shock. The spinoff show Batman Beyond also had Barbara following in her father's footsteps and becoming Gotham's new police commissioner. Batman's habit for appearing and disappearing suddenly have both frightened and annoyed Gordon on occasion, as seen when Gordon said, "Ah! Have pity on an old man's heart!" "Some day I'm going to nail his feet to the floor!" The Batman In the animated series The Batman, James Gordon is voiced by Mitch Pileggi. He is depicted as a newly appointed Gotham City police commissioner after an incident involving the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler. He ends the manhunt against Batman and goes public with his support for the Batman in order to help make Gotham safer for his daughter, Barbara (who, as in every other incarnation, becomes Batgirl). A young officer was seen trying to comfort Bruce Wayne after his parents’ murders in a flashback in the episode Traction was seen and following Gordon's introductory episode, Night and the City, there arose speculation about the officer being a young Gordon, especially after a line by Alfred on how Gordon had "loomed large over Bruce’s life.” Former The Batman producer/character designer Jeff Matsuda, confirmed that while not intended as a tie-in for Batman Begins (which, as noted above, has a similar scene) that the officer was indeed Gordon. Gordon, Commissioner James